Main Discussion

Why music and dementia?

Listening to music has a positive impact on mood and reduces stress.

Music, memory and emotion are tightly interwoven, and music often triggers emotional memories (childhood holidays, leaving home, falling in love, births, deaths…) which are less likely to be affected by dementia.

Nowadays, for better or for worse, music doesn’t cost much to listen to and it’s easily accessible.

There is some evidence to suggest that music can improve the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) such as depression, agitation and aggression.

They are thought to be the last areas affected by the neuropathology of dementia, which may explain why people with dementia respond to music even when they already exhibit signs of significant cognitive decline.

Participation in the arts may delay onset and reduce severity of dementia, as well as improving quality of life for those living with dementia and their carers.

Reflecting the health inequalities that exist throughout society, older people living in more deprived areas tend to develop dementia earlier and die from it younger than those living in more affluent areas.

In July 2017 an inquiry report was produced by The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW). They strongly advised NHS England to include the arts in post-diagnostic, person-centred support for people with dementia.

Very long (150 pages or so) but an interesting read to dip in and out of.

Music for Dementia 2020 is a national campaign to help make music available for everyone living with dementia. In other words, we want to get music into the ears and lives of people living with dementia because we know music is transformative for them.

The report clarifies some of the gaps and needs regarding music services and powerfully strengthens the case for bringing music for dementia further into the public forum so that this vital work can grow.

The Utley Foundation is a private family charitable Trust, founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley, both passionate music lovers and musicians.

Since its inception, the foundation has been supporting and championing the use of music and music therapy to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.

In September 2019, we launched the Musical Map for Dementia – an online directory to find music offers / services for people living with dementia across the country.

Music therapy is the use of music (improvised, live, interactive, recorded) to meet someone’s unique and personal needs.

These could be psychological, emotional, social, physical, cognitive or spiritual needs.

As we all have our own unique relationships with music, this can become an alternative means of communication when words are too much, not enough or no longer available due to illness, injury or disability.

Music is a powerful connector, it connects us to ourselves, those around us and the world around us, and in doing so helps to support and maintain relationships.

Central to how music therapy works is the therapeutic relationship that is established and developed between therapist and client, through engagement in live musical interaction and play.

A wide range of musical styles and instruments can be used, including the voice, and the music is often improvised. Using music in this way enables clients to create their own unique musical language in which to explore and connect with the world and express themselves.

Music therapists draw upon the innate qualities of music to support people of all ages from helping newborn babies to develop healthy bonds with their parents, to offering sensitive and compassionate palliative care at the end of life.

It can help to develop and facilitate communication skills, improve self-confidence and independence, enhance self-awareness and awareness of others, improve concentration and attention skills.

Music can be a social process engaged in with others and it can also provide the sanctuary of a more private experience. Depending on the individual needs of the client, music therapists offer individual or group music therapy sessions.

They promote the use of therapeutic scheduling – timing listening around certain activities (e.g. difficult tasks, spending time together, meeting new people).

This links to the idea of individualised music – depending on availability of musicians, equipment etc, this might be hard to achieve with live music. Tastes are going to change in coming years (more people liking louder, wilder and more electronic music).

Singing for the Brain: started in 2003 by the Alzheimer’s Society, it is a standardised service that follows a specific model across the UK. Sessions involve a musician, people with dementia, and their care-givers. They start with physical and vocal warm-up exercises, then move on to a themed singing session (i.e. the weather, travel) with some well-known songs and some new ones.

The programme has been seen to aid communication by strengthening neural pathways to the vocal and breathing mechanisms.